Ratings Overall: 10 Sensuality: 8 Suspense Element: 10

This is an Official Review by a Suspense Romance Writer Official Reviewer

Review for Kiss to Kill, A
Author: Nina Bruhns
Date of Review: 05/31/10
Reviewed by: Leah

Reviewer Comments: WOW! What an explosive page turner! Nina Bruhns knows how to tell a story that builds the suspense from the first page and keeps you guessing until the amazing ending.

Gina Cappozi was kidnapped by a terrorist group named al Sayika. She was beaten and forced to create a biological weapon to be dispersed in the United States. Gina never thought she would escape, but luckily the men and women of STORM, a private military contractor, found her and rescued her. Gina knows that Gregg van Halen, a black ops agent, is the one who made her fall in love with him and then betrayed her to the terrorists. She vows revenge and will do anything she can to see him captured and killed.

Gregg van Halen is distraught that Gina was kidnapped. Yes, it was his job to seduce her and yes, he took her to the place where she was kidnapped, but he was immediately sent out of the country and had no idea that she would be taken by terrorists. Somehow, he has to find the man who set them both up and make him pay. Only then can he get his life back and possibly Gina.

In addition to these two amazing characters, we also meet the men and women of STORM. Two of the most prominent are Rebel Haywood, an FBI agent, and Alex Zane, a STORM member who was also captured by al Sayika. These two have a very stormy relationship. Rebel has been in love with Alex for years, but Alex doesn’t feel that he has anything to offer a woman and he fears the danger his job could bring to her door.

I know that the story was supposed to center around the relationship of Gregg and Gina, but truthfully, I found the interaction between Rebel and Alex to be the more compelling of the stories. The Gina and Gregg story became less important to me as I wanted to see how the mixed feelings between Alex and Rebel worked out. Their story appeared to have more depth than the one between Gina and Gregg.

Ms. Bruhns definitely knows how to write romantic suspense. She keeps her readers waiting for the next clue that will lead to the man responsible for supporting terrorists on American soil. Having the military and terrorists in the United States strikes a cord for all of us who witnessed 9/11 and the aftermath. I think that Ms. Bruhns plays on our fears that terrorists will strike again and uses this to make her story current and relevant. She makes it realistic that such a thing could happen which makes her novel all the more appealing. We have to finish the book in order to know if the good guys will triumph and if everyone will make it out okay.

I really enjoyed this book. It was action-packed and suspenseful. I couldn’t put it down once I started it. I had to know what would happen and the romantic scenes between the characters were passionate and detailed. We see the romance build for both couples as the story progresses.